The retro favorite that spawned the Espresso Martini!
Ingredients
Ice Cubes
0.5 Part15 ml0.5 oz
Kahlúa
1.5 Parts45 ml1.5 oz
Absolut Vodka
0.3 Part9 ml0.3 oz
Simple Syrup
1 Part30 ml1 oz
Espresso
3 Whole3 Whole3 Whole
Coffee Bean
Parts
Ml
Oz
How to mix
1. Add all ingredients and lots of ice into a shaker, or any vessel with a lid.
2. Shake for 15 - 20 seconds, to build up lots of that velvety foam.
3. Strain into a retro martini or cocktail glass – not forgetting the foam!
4. Finish off with 3 coffee beans on top (for good luck!).
Fun fact
In 1983, a world famous model strutted into the London bar, where late bartender legend Dick Bradsell worked.
Worn out from a day of super-modelling, she orders a special drink but what she said would soon become legendary…
Dick had just the thing - inspired by the coffee grounds around him, he makes a freshly pressed espresso and mixes in a shaker together with Coffee Liqueur (Kahlúa of course), vodka and sugar syrup. After a long hard shake, he pours it into a martini glass and gently pushes the drink towards the model – The first version of the now-legendary cocktail was born!
Over the next few years, Bradsell refined the recipe into what would become the now-ubiquitous Espresso Martini.
The main difference between the two? The Vodka Espresso’s sweetness (thanks to the addition of simple syrup).
Rate this drink recipe
3.65 from 52 votes
How to mix the Vodka Espresso
1. Add the Kahlúa Original, Absolut Vodka, Espresso and Simple Syrup into a shaker.
2. Add the ice.
3. Shake for 15 – 20 seconds, to build up lots of that velvety foam.
4. Strain into a retro martini or cocktail glass – not forgetting the foam!
5. Finish off with 3 coffee beans on top (for good luck!).
Espresso Martini
Tasty, edgy, sophisticated—three awesome reasons why it’s one of the most popular coffee cocktails in the world.